Supreme Court Warns Odisha on Dara Singh Remission Plea

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a stern warning to the Odisha government, threatening to summon state officials if a decision on the remission plea of Rabindra Kumar Pal, known as Dara Singh, is not made by September 17. Singh is serving a life sentence for the 1999 murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons. A bench led by Justices Manoj Misra and Vijay Bishnoi expressed strong displeasure over the prolonged delay in considering Singh's plea for premature release. The court noted that the matter has been pending for over two years and cannot be kept "lingering indefinitely." The state's counsel sought a further adjournment, citing the illness of the Advocate on Record representing Odisha, but the bench refused to grant more time. "You cannot keep it lingering like this. You have to take a decision, either yes or no," the court stated, emphasizing that the state cannot avoid making a determination. The justices warned that if a decision is not conveyed by the next hearing date, they would summon the State Secretary or Chief Secretary to appear before the court.